"Safe Sex:" Time To Abstain

Edwin J. Feulner

[It] would be "dangerous and unnecessary" to increase spending on abstinence programs, Rep. James Greenwood, R-Pa., wrote.."There is no scientific evidence that 'abstinence only until marriage' programs work."

But there is..."abstinence only" programs have a record of success that the "if you're gonna do it, do it safely" programs can't match.

One "abstinence only" program...calls on teenagers to take a "virginity pledge...Pair the pledge with strong parental disapproval of pre-marital sex, and the probability that teens will become sexually active drops by 75 percent or more.

...Research conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute found that the Postponing Sexual Involvement program in Atlanta reduced sexual initiation rates among eighth-grade boys by 60 percent and among eighth-grade girls by 95 percent.

...True abstinence programs help young people build an understanding of commitment, fidelity and intimacy...Can the same be said for classroom demonstrations involving condoms and cucumbers?

Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D. is president of The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based public policy research institute.